Box Me Up
by Miss Meggie
Summary: Jenna and Opie learn things about Piney as they're packing up his house. spoilers for season 4! Jax/Jenna series.


Jenna unlocked the door as Opie manhandled Piney's foot locker to the door.

"Why the fuck did he carry this heavy fucker all over creation? Hurry up Jenny." the lock gave and she shoves the door open. She rolled in and Opie sat the locker down with a resounding thud.

Jenna shoved her aviators up on to her head. She looks around the worn and lived in living room. Honeyed sun light filters through the gauzy drapes she'd put in six years earlier.

"Gonna get the boxes." Opie states. She catches Opie's arm and doesn't say a word. He must read her thoughts.

"We have too Jen, we have lives and families of our own." He looks a little sad saying it out loud.

"Selling it seems wrong, you gave Paige her first bath in the kitchen sink and Abel took his first steps in the backyard." She laughs. "Hell Jax busted his ass sneaking out once."

He kisses her forehead. "I know." He leaves to get the boxes.

Opie brings down boxes from the attic and deposits them around her. He goes back for more.

Ann comes in without a word and grabs an empty box and heads for the bedroom. Jenna can't imagine the pain she's feeling. The thought of packing away all things Jax gives her chills.

She texts him quickly. *In case I don't say it enough I love you." She transfers on to the floor and opens the foot locker.

Her phone chimes and she reads: "You do. I love you too Jennasis. Don't get sad and call if you need me."

She reaches for a bundle of old photographs.

"Jesus Christ Piermont! You nasty old fart." Ann shouts from the next room.

Jenna laughs. "Porn or dirty laundry Mama?" She calls out.

"Shut up Jennasis!" Jenna rolls with laughter as Opie's coming down the stairs again.

"What's so funny?" He asks, his eye brows raising just a bit

"Mom found the porn stash."

Opie chuckles and sits down next to her. Jenna flips through Nam photos stopping on one of Piney leaned against a jeep. Head tilted like he's listening to someone. There's a cigarette tucked behind his ear. The expression on his face makes him seem like someone who once had an easy smile and has lost it. It's like looking at her brother now. It scares her and makes her sad.

"Damn Ope, you're his clone." He leans and looks down at the photo,

"I might have gotten his face but you got the 'tude."

"I'm not grumpy." She looks over at him, feeling rather miffed.

"You're honest and loyal and call me on my shit." Opie replies explaining himself.

"So are you Ope."

They flip through the old club pictures neither want to see the Clay of yester year.

Jenna stops on a black and white photo of their mother sitting in the window of a barn loft sunlight streaming around her. She's wearing a black silk robe a cigarette in one hand and a sultry smile on her face. Looking like a hippie version of Edie Sedgwick.

"Wow." Jenna says.

"She was gorgeous." Opie murmurs. Jenna can see bone structure and dimples similar to her own. Opie takes the photo and flips it over. "'68 My love," he reads "That's Dad's handwriting." he adds.

"Mama!" She calls.

"Come here…" she hands her the picture.

"Who took that?" she asked.

Ann smiles softly. "Piney. It was one of his many hidden talents."

"Where was it taken? I don't recognize anything."

Ann lowers herself on to the floor. "This was back when SAMRO was more commune than outlaw. We lived on a farm on the state line. We lived in that loft I painted and made jams while he worked on bikes. Gemma tended the fruit stand on the highway."

She looks at her children's disbelieving faces. "Don't look so shocked, once upon a time the club was worthwhile."

She nodded at Jenna. "Why do you think your name means the beginning?"

"We were happy then, young with the world at our feet. I know you have your doubts Ope, but it was good thing once baby. Jax claims he's going to put SAMCRO to rights. I know you want to honor Donna and you're father. The best way to do that is to show up, and if you can't just don't leave Jenny behind."

"I won't Ma, I…" He tried to interrupt.

"True love, it's never a choice. Not her love for Jax, or your love for the club and certainly not my love for Piermont. You remember that when you make your choice okay."

"Damn mama, so that's where I get it from." Jenna smirked.

Opie rolled his eyes as he reached for what looks like an antique snuff tin. He opened it and looked in "Okay, creepy I think these are my baby teeth."

Jenna peers over. "That's very sweet in a disgusting sorta way."

"He liked being the tooth fairy; I still can't believe Jenny let him pull her first one." Ann said.

Jenna shrugged. "Ope dared me." She went back to her pile of photos. There was one of her and Piney. They stand in front of TM. She's about a year old all baby fat rolls and red pigtails. She's staring at him and he's scowling into the camera.

"Can I have this one?" Ann leaned over and looked. "Sure Darlin' it's not very good."

"I have one nearly identical of Jax and Arie. Same pose scowl and all. I'll frame them."

Opie smirks. "I guess its true women marry versions of their father."

Jenna smiles. "You remember that when Miss Paige brings home the Pollman kid and says he's her one true love or some romance novel bullshit kay?"

"I'm puttin' a stop to that shit." Opie muttered digging deeper into the locker.

"How ya gonna do that? Chain her to the bed 'til she's forty? "She set the photo aside.

"Maybe. Hell she's too much like Donna and she's fuckin fearless like you scares me." Opie said his hands closed around a paper bundle.

"Well Harry, when a Winston woman gives her heart away she gives the whole thing and usually for forever. So, just be prepared."

"Can we just not right now, I mean I know it's gonna happen but it just makes me feel old and it really makes me miss Donna." Opie looks down to see a letter addressed to him. "Christ the old man kept his whole goddamn life in this thing, I feel like I'm going to find a condom wrapper from the sixties."

"Ew Harry, just ew…" he dropped Jenna's letter in her lap.

Ann put on Piney's favorite Van Morrison record_. Days Like This_ comes pouring out with all its cracks and pops and white noise.

"This calls for Tequila." Jenna said morosely. Ann went and got Piney's patrone. Opie pulled out a joint.

"Look at Bubba picking up the stoner mantle and carrying joints in his coat pocket like lollipops." Jenna grins at him.

"Shut up." He lit it and took a toke. He passed it to Jenna. "Please tell me Bobby did not roll these." Jenna said taking a hit.

Opie chuckles. "I rolled them." Jenna tosses back a shot her mother poured and passed the joint to her.

She opened her letter and was greeted by her father's scratchy slanted hand writing.

"_My girl," Those two words have her tears on the verge of falling._

"_I know that if you have found this letter things didn't go as planned. I need you to know that I don't blame you for anything that happened, I could have left things alone and let those letters and that history remain unknown I chose not to. The price I paid does not lie on your shoulders understand that Jennasis." Jenna bit her lip and kept reading._

"_I know the way your heart works and I know that you're angry and scared and that you feel I abandoned you with all of this and I did. I'm sorry baby." If I ever needed you starts to play and Jenna begins to cry. She's surprised to feel Ann's hand on the small of her back. She looks up to see Ann trying to wipe away Opie's angry tears but he flinches away._

_She goes back to reading. She takes a hit off the joint._

"_Retribution will come for Clay Morrow I promise you. Though it may only come by the hand of god. You are too do nothing rash or violent if you haven't already. Is that clear?" _

"_Whoops sorry Daddy." Jenna whispered, sniffling._

"_The best way to get even, live in spite of all his hate. You be happy. Love Jackson and your children and let no one steal it. You trust what you have with him, because love it endures all things after all. Look for reasons to smile, take each day and live it to the last drop baby. Those beautiful little people god awarded you? Teach them and learn from them love them. Let no one rob you of your joy, your determination, or your passion. You guard it and keep it for yourself and nothing can break you not the club and sure has hell not Clay." Jenna reached up and wiped her tears with the back of her hand._

"_You and Harry are the only truly pure and good things I did; funnily enough most of it was done by accident. You living breathing proof that what does not kill you will only make you stronger. You make me proud beyond words. _

"_I love you, Daddy." _

She scrubbed her hands down her face. "Shit…I don't even." She muttered.

"Its okay baby," Ann said rubbing her back.

-/-/-/-

It's funny the shit they find, things Opie didn't even know the old man had.

Tapes of his football games and Jenny's old gigs. Actual VHS tapes like the man lived in the Stone Age. He pops one in.

An eight month old Trey sits in the floor. "Bubba man! What you doin?" He sits the camera on the floor Piney steps in the frame and sits next to Trey.

"We're gonna crawl ok? And show your mama ain't nothin' wrong with you." Piney crawls across the floor and trey just sits and stares.

Opie laughs. "Jen!" he calls. "Think I figured out how Trey learned to crawl."

Jenna wonders in. "What?" Jenna sees an unmoving Trey and her Dad on the screen. Piney pulls a sucker out of his pocket. He unwrapped it and gives the baby a taste before taking it away and moving a little ways away.

Trey whines a bit. Then, he crawls toward Piney and to get the sucker. They repeat the process until Trey crawls out of frame. "It worked Pay-pay you owe me kisses."

"Fine old man!" they hear Paige's reply. "Only Dad." Jenna says with a laugh.

The video shuts off then comes back on and Jenna's standing on a stage singing _House of the Rising Sun._

"It's weird seeing myself like that." Jenna states.

"Yeah?" He asks head inclined toward her

"The only time I'm able bodied anymore is when I dream." Jenna cocks her head in return and gives him a smile.

"You never told me that!" He admonishes

"It's never come up." Jenna switches off the TV. "Help me clean out the kitchen." She says and rolls off.

-/-/-/-

She's sweaty dirty and emotional and physically exhausted when she rolls the through the front door.

"Baby?" she calls out somewhat quietly. Jax comes in from the kitchen.

"You look tired." Jax replies on nodding toward her.

"I am." Jax is waiting for her to say more, she just can't. He walks behind her and without asking pushes her to the kitchen.

She goes to put her hands down. "Uh-uh I got. You're going to eat dinner and tell me what's bothering you."

He makes her a bowl of Frito chili pie and sets it down in front of her.

Jenna laughs quietly "I love you, Jackson." She digs in.

He shrugs. "I thought it might help."

"It does, thank you. Where are my children?" She looks around and chews and swallows before taking another cheese and chili laden bite.

"Already down. I sang you are my sunshine probably forty times and rocked until I was motion sick before Zona gave in and Abel passed out watching The Lion King."

"Hakuna ma tada baby," Jenna said with a sad smirk.

"What is it? Can I help fix it?" He leaned forward.

"No." she swallowed. "Going through his things? It felt invasive and…like you're going to think I'm stupid but…" She stared into the bowl of food.

"I won't." He replies and at that she looked up.

"It's like there were two people sometimes, my Dad and the biker. I knew that but he kept things I'd have expected mom to keep. Pictures, Opie's baby teeth, school projects, he had a cake mix in the kitchen …" she handed him a post it note. She put down the fork her appetite gone.

It read: "In case Jax is in the slammer still make Jenny's birthday cake."

"That was stuck to the box."

"He'd probably use tequila instead of water." Jax said smirking.

"Probably, the thing that bothers me now? I can't say thank you or I understand. He wasn't always so gruff. They were kids Jax you should have seen those war photos. This club wasn't meant to be what it is…it was a fucking Harley commune not a crime syndicate. He died trying fix it and he just wants me to let the shit lie Jax! I'm not sure I can. I hate Clay."

"I know."

"No you don't." She shook her head.

"The difference between me and you? You love the club enough to swallow your pride and let the man live. I don't I'd of gutted him and watched him bleed out on my father's grave, that's hate." She said devoid of emotion.

"I understand baby, believe me I do but you can't let this eat you alive. You do and you'll become just like him. That'll be the price of vengeance baby and I don't want you to pay it." He said quietly. "Now, eat." he ordered.

"I refuse to be in the same room with him ever again." He nodded.

"Alright. Jenna I'm proud of you."

"Why? I just said I wanted to kill someone. Eviscerate them actually."

"Because you haven't and I know you won't. You've kept your dignity and you keep smiling through shit that would kill most people. I couldn't face for the longest time because you were braver than me. So piney didn't need a thank you, the fact that you keep going? Is proof and thanks enough that he did his job right."

"Thanks Jackson."

"No problem." She ate in silence and he did the dishes.

She rolled forward bringing her dishes to him. He leaned down and kissed her.

"You taste like Fritos." She laughed and he paused. "And pot! You smoked up without me again."

"There's a joint in my pocket just for you." She sipped her drink smiling.

"Aw you love me."

"I do, this is the good medical grade shit we swiped from Juicy's clinic."

"Fuckers weird but he can grow some Mary Jane." Jax mused still washing.

"Hey be nice to him! You're just weirded out cause we're friends and it makes you jealous."

"Does not." He retorted.

"Does so! Did the kids mind?"

"For the most part, Zona loves the teapot from beauty and the beast she was transfixed by it during the song. A telemarketer called and I gave Abel the phone told him it was Santa Claus."

Jenna cracked up nearly choking on her drink. "Baby!" she tried to sound reprimanding but couldn't pull it off. "Okay I can't even be mad, that's really funny." She sat her drink on the counter.

"You shoulda heard him honey, I wants a pony, and a motor-sizle, and a dog, and can my sisser go be a elf." He grabbed the glass washed it and put it on the drying rack.

Jenna laughed. "I don't know what I love more the fact that he can't say motorcycle and tried to pawn his sister off on Santa or that you paid close enough attention to mimic him." He drained the dish water and dried his hands.

Jax shrugged. "Then he goes Santa hanged up on me. Then I felt bad."

"Aw poor abey-baby." She leaned forward to kiss Jax "Don't worry we had ice cream for dessert it was forgotten." He leaned down.

She kissed him. "Thanks for making me laugh I needed it. Ready for bed? I'm tired."

"How tired?" he asked pushing her toward the bedroom.

"Jax!"

"I like you…" He said flirtatiously. He closed the bedroom door behind them, and then remembered to crack it so they'd hear the kids.

"Okay I guess we can do something dirty you are kinda cute." She gave in grinning up at him.

-/-/-/-

Jenna lies with her head on Jax's chest watching the ember of the left over roach die out in the ashtray. Jax snores so loudly she has to stifle her snickers.

The day had started out utterly shitty but ended rather lovely.

There were so many things she'd miss about her father; the thing she misses most will be his unending believe in her.

He was the only person who didn't question her when she wanted to do something. Start a band, love Jax, and move away. Through all of it she'd gotten acceptance and belief.

She knows she's lucky. She'd packed away one man she loved for safe keeping and slept in the arms of another man she loved knowing she was safe and loved back.

It can't get worse where Piney's concerned.

With Jax, it doesn't get much better than where she is now.

With a sly grin. She tickles his chest. "Jax." She whispers. Nothing. "Jax." She says louder. He wakes with a jump and a snort.

"What? Where? What?" Jenna laughs.

"I just needed to tell you something."

"Okay, what?" his eyes are closing again.

"I love you."

"You woke me up for that?"

"Yeah I…" she goes to turn away. He grabs her blindly pulling her back.

"I love you too. Now go to sleep woman." She lays her head back down and Jax rubs her back without being asked. She's asleep within minutes.

-/-/-/-

**AN: I own only my characters please if you liked it review.**


End file.
